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Limit
15 participants.
Hiking Difficulty
Moderate
Trip Description
Nestled in the Adirondack foothills, this nearly 900 acre Nature Conservancy Preserve contains several distinct plant communities that are accessible along the Gibson Nature Trail, named in honor of the 1976 land donor, Cynthia Anne Gibson. The hike begins in a mature, mixed pine plantation then transitions into an upland deciduous forest approaching climax stage. The forest is dominated by Acer saccharum interspersed with Fagus grandifolia, Acer rubrum, Betula allegheniensis, Tsuga canadensis and Prunus serotina. The latter two tree species reach astounding dimensions. Midway on the hike the group will go “off-trail”, cross a glacial morainic ridge (esker?) and drop into a kettle depression that’s home to a sphagnum bog community with numerous indicator plants including Chamaedaphne calyculata, Andromeda polifolia, Rhododendron groenlandicum, Kalmia polifolia, Drosera rotundifolia, and Vaccinium macrocarpon. The open pool in the center of the bog is acidic (pH ~ 5.2), dark brown but clear. Beware the edge of the pool is a quaking mat!
The trail is mostly level, about 2 miles roundtrip, and dry except for the bog mat and encircling spruce-fir lowland forest. Waterproof boots are recommended.
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